Two people killed and eight injured in mass shooting at US university

BREAKING

Brown University in the US state of Rhode Island reported that an active shooting was going on in the area of the university at 16:22 local time (21:22 GMT).

The university put out an alert telling people in the area to "lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice".

About 50 minutes later the university sent out another alert urging people to continue taking shelter.

Providence police department later confirmed that multiple people had been shot in the area of Brown University.

At the time of publishing, the suspect remains at large.

Mayor of Providence Brett Smiley said that two people were dead and eight more had been injured, but noted these numbers could change.

It said in a post on X: "This is an active investigation. Please shelter in place or avoid the area until further notice."

The situation was later acknowledged by US president Donald Trump who claimed the shooter was in custody, however, he was forced to backtrack on this statement saying the suspect is not in custody.

He wrote in his first Truth Social post: "I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island.

"The suspect is in custody. God bless the victims and the families of the victims!"

He followed it up with: "The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement.

"The suspect is NOT in custody."

The university has since issued a statement which reads: "We are very sorry to share that we have confirmed reports of multiple shooting victims, but we do not yet have information about their condition that we are in a position to share. They have been transported to local hospitals.

"Our first priority is the safety of our community and coordinating closely with local law enforcement and medical personnel to ensure their safety. We are working immediately to determine who was in the building at the time of the shooting. We had multiple exams scheduled in that building from 2 pm to 5 pm. We can confirm that support services are on site. We have also relocated students to get support services at a secure location.

"We have been and continue to be very grateful to law enforcement and emergency medical personnel.

"Please continue to take all steps to remain safe. Follow the instructions of law enforcement personnel and avoid the area."